Read our students' stories that start from the CUHK and go further beyond.

People who contribute to society usually connect their knowledge, experience and imagination to what they observe and then come up with solutions that benefit others. Like Sarah Mui, who uses her expertise in architecture to connect individuals and communities, Win Chan integrates his personal experience into what society needs in order to change other people’s lives for the better.

Win was born with congenital cataract in his left eye, and he also has severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. Because of these conditions, he struggled to catch up with the speed of lectures and sometimes missed the important points when he was a student at CUHK. Understanding Win’s predicament, the Special Education Needs (SEN) Service Team of the Office of Student Affairs arranged for some of his fellow classmates to be note-takers to help him keep track of key points in lectures. They were his saviours, according to Win. He quips that the densely packed notes were so comprehensive that “no stone was left unturned”, and they were a big help to his studies. 

As a student with special educational needs (SEN), Win knows exactly what kind of support students with SEN require. That makes him a perfect staff member of the Education Bureau’s Special Education Support Section. He believes that professional training for teachers to equip them with the skills to support students with SEN is one key to promoting integrated education. Through designing curricula, he has come to understand the importance of teachers’ role as a coordinator: they do not only support students, but also need to consider the needs and feelings of their parents and caregivers and improve coordination between professionals, such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists. 

To be a competent policymaker, one needs strong observation skills and a good understanding of what local communities need. When he interned at a social enterprise during his university years, Win came to realise that many working single mothers had little time for their children and therefore had strained relationships with them. The problem was especially prevalent in Kwai Chung, one of the districts in Hong Kong with the most single parents. Win wanted to do something to help them. Win and his colleagues made use of a specially designed venue, where all units were divided into two parts by sheer glass, to set up an activity for the mother and child to reconcile -- mother and child were placed in different sides of the unit to do their own work, and yet they could see through the glass and know what was going on in the other side.  Interestingly, participants found themselves still enjoy each other’s company and understand each other better through the glass. Through the internship, Win learnt that the key to bringing positive changes to others is to stay connected with local communities, have a good understanding of the real issues and come up with practical solutions. With his connection to social service, Win became determined to help local communities as a public servant.

Win was not a cheerful person in his younger years, but he changed for the more positive because of CUHK - the attention and care he was showered upon over the years have made him the optimistic and giving person today. To him, the most memorable moments of his university life are when he helped organise Chung Chi College’s “Thousand People Feast”. A three-time organiser of the annual event, Win still remembers vividly how Lingnan Stadium was fully packed with students, staff members and alumni, all enjoying a delightful dinner together. Coming from different ages and backgrounds, everyone was connected by the emblems of CUHK and Chung Chi College. This bond forms the backbone of Win’s story at CUHK, giving him hope and motivation in his future endeavours.